Training Backlog(all loads in lbs.)
Guesses of approximate 1RM (based on limited gym experience during undergrad, I actually wrote these figures down, what a clown I was even just 6 weeks ago)
Bench: 135
Squat: 115
Press: 65
Deadlift: 95
11/5 workout (week 1):
Squat 45@5x5
Bench 45@5x5
Row 65@5x5
11/7 workout:
Squat 50@5x5 (Here I wrote down form notes: feet closer together and toes pointed less out. This was bad advice I was giving myself for no reason. Felt inflexible)
Press 45@5x5 (Form: elbows forward, tight grip, abs clenched, "Rocky" pose or "Steve Holt!" pose at the top)
Deadlift 95@1x5 (My form notes here are less funny, because I still have no fucking clue how to properly deadlift)
11/9 workout:
Squat 55@5x5
Bench 55@5x5
Row 50@5x5 (oops, returned to the gym and did 70@5x5)
11/12 workout (week 2):
Squat 60@5x5 (balance, flexibility, form)
Press 50@5x5
Dead 105@1x5
11/14 workout:
Squat 65@5x5
Bench 65@5x5
Rows 75@5x5
11/16 workout:
Squat 70@5x5
Press 55@5x5
Dead 115 @1x5
11/19 workout(week 3):
Squat 75@ 5x5
Bench 75@ 5x5
Rows 80@5x5
11/21 workout:
Squat 80@5x5
Press 60@5x5
Dead 125@1x5
weigh-in: 192 lbs.
11/23 workout:
Squat 85@ 5x5
Bench 85@5x5
Row 85@5x5
11/26 workout(week 4):
Squat 90@5x5
Press 65@5x5
Dead 135@1x5
11/28 workout:
Squat 95@5x5
Bench 95@5x5
Row 95@5x5
11/30 workout:
Squat 100@5x5
Press 70@5x5
Dead 145@1x5
12/3 workout(week 5):
Squat 105@5x5
Bench 105@5x5
Row 105@5x5
weigh-in: 193 lbs. (I was upset with this weigh-in, but I knew deep down that I hadn't been eating big)
12/5 workout:
Squat 110 @5x5
Press 75@ 5x5
Dead 155 @ 1x5
12/7 workout:
Squat 115 @ 5x5
Bench 115@5x5
Row 115@5x5
12/10 workout(week 6):
Squat 120@5x5
Press 80@5x5
Dead 165@1x5
I didn't eat all day today- played fucking video games all fucking day. Feels like shit in workout
12/12
Had a holiday party at work and wound up going wild in DC. Crashed at my friends apt, having missed my first scheduled workout.
12/14 workout:
Squat 125@5x5 (squats are tough, unsure about low bar and balance)
Bench 120@5x5
Row 120@5x5
Would have stopped here, but I missed a workout and it ticked me off. I'm better than that, and combined with Monday's eating debacle, I moved onto the press
Press 85@5x5
Dead 175@1x5 (grip strength here was tough, I tried doing one more rep after a short rest and holding the bar in the upright position for as long as I could)
At this point, I started looking more seriously into the squat form. The active hip article helped me to sort out my high-bar/low-bar squat problems. Turns out I was putting the bar lower, like I should, but not tilting forward enough to compensate. Thus my weight was over my heels and I'd fall back. I watched the squat bar placement video, and putting the grip, bar placement, and active hip (feet pointed out, cue "knees out!") pieces together, I'm now squatting way lower (I thought wasn't flexible enough to hit parallel, now I go below every time), with no lower back rounding, plenty of explosion at the bottom, and my stance is solid as shit. No more rocking back and forth for me.
Workout 12/17(week 7):
Squat 45x5x2, 95x3, 135x5x5
Bench 45x5x2, 95x3, 125x5x5
Row 95x5, 125x5x5
felt real good (quite proud of myself for the improvements in squat form after this workout)
Weigh-in @ 197 lbs. Even though this represented 11 lbs. gained in just over 6 weeks, I was still disappointed. I think you all know why. While in October, I never thought I'd be starting to lift weights, never thought I'd approach 200 lbs., thought it was impossible for someone with my genetics to gain weight, once I learned the truth, I got poisoned. I know deep that I hadn't been eating as big as I could, I was sleeping too little and drinking too much. That night (this Monday), I went home and pounded down a protein shake, two chicken breasts, a can of black beans, and about 1/3 gallon of milk.
Workout 12/19 (today):
Squat 45x5x2, 95x3x2, 140x5x5
My form still feels really nice, I'd been looking down to assist with keeping the bar over the middle of the feet (I guess to make sure my weight wasn't on my toes or heels, kinesthetic sense isn't there quite yet), I've tried to bring my chin back up to make sure my chest is puffed and blocked nicely
Press 45x5, 65x3, 85x3, 90x5x5
I went pretty quickly from my warm ups into my work set. I incorporated the hip thrust from Press 2.0. The first set, I was unsure of my ability to hit all 5x5, so I took a long rest between sets 1 and 2. It really helped, and while my hip thrust isn't perfect, the ones that I do well the bar popped up really nice. My goal is to get to 100 without stalling. After reading Rip's t-nation article about the press, I'm really inspired to try and keep this exercise as a main focus. A far off dream of mine is to do a clean and press of my own bodyweight.
Dead 95x5x1, 135x3x1, 185x5x1
First warmup set was stupid. With the 25s on the end, the bar was too low for me to make any sense of the movement. The next warmup set, I really tried to practice the form. Bar over the middle of the foot. Bend over to touch the bar without moving it. Drop the hips till my shins touch the bar. Lift trying to keep the bar on my shins. Felt more efficient and vertical. I need the fuckin book before the weight gets heavy. Work set wasn't doggin' my grip strength as much, but I forgot to hold the last rep at the top. Oh well.